About the song
Bob Dylan’s timeless anthem, “Hurricane”, is a poignant exploration of racial injustice and the devastating consequences of a flawed legal system. Released in 1975, the song serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring fight for equality.
Inspired by the wrongful conviction of boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, Dylan weaves a narrative that is both heartbreaking and infuriating. Carter, a rising star in the world of boxing, was falsely accused of a triple murder in 1966. Despite overwhelming evidence pointing to his innocence, Carter was sentenced to life imprisonment in a trial that was widely seen as racially motivated.
Dylan’s lyrics paint a vivid picture of Carter’s ordeal, highlighting the prejudice and profiling he faced. Through his evocative storytelling, Dylan exposes the systemic racism that permeated the American justice system in the 1960s and beyond. The song’s haunting melody and Dylan’s passionate delivery amplify the message, urging listeners to confront the injustices of society.
“Hurricane” is more than just a protest song; it is a call to action. Dylan’s unwavering support for Carter helped to raise awareness of his case and galvanize public opinion. The song’s enduring popularity has ensured that Carter’s story continues to resonate with audiences today, serving as a powerful reminder of the importance of fighting for justice and equality.
Video
Lyrics
Pistol shots ring out in the barroom night
Enter Patty Valentine from the upper hall
She sees a bartender in a pool of blood
Cries out, “my God, they killed them all”
Here comes the story of the Hurricane
The man the authorities came to blame
For somethin’ that he never done
Put in a prison cell, but one time he coulda been
The champion of the world
Three bodies lyin’ there, does Patty see
And another man named Bello, movin’ around mysteriously
“I didn’t do it” he says, and he throws up his hands
“I was only robbin’ the register, I hope you understand”
“I saw them leavin'” he says, and he stops
“One of us had better call up the cops”
And so Patty calls the cops
And they arrive on the scene
With their red lights flashin’ in a hot New Jersey night
Meanwhile, far away in another part of town
Rubin Carter and a couple of friends are drivin’ around
Number one contender for the middleweight crown
Had no idea what kinda shit was about to go down
When a cop pulled him over to the side of the road
Just like the time before and the time before that
In Paterson that’s just the way things go
If you’re black you might as well not show up on the street
‘Less you want to draw the heat
Alfred Bello had a partner and he had a rap for the cops
Him and Arthur Dexter Bradley were just out prowlin’ around
He said “I saw two men runnin’ out, they looked like middleweights
Jumped into a white car with out-of-state plates”
And Miss Patty Valentine just nodded her head
Cop said “Wait a minute, boys, this one’s not dead”
So they took him to the infirmary
And though this man could hardly see
They told him he could identify the guilty men
Four in the mornin’ and they haul Rubin in
They took him to the hospital and they brought him upstairs
The wounded man looks up through his one dyin’ eye
Say “Why’d you bring him in here for? He ain’t the guy”
Here’s the story of the Hurricane
The man the authorities came to blame
For somethin’ that he never done
Put in a prison cell, but one time he coulda been
The champion of the world
Four months later, the ghettos are in flame
Rubin’s in South America, fightin’ for his name
While Arthur Dexter Bradley’s still in the robbery game
And the cops are puttin’ the screws to him, lookin’ for somebody to blame
“Remember that murder that happened in a bar?”
“Remember you said you saw the getaway car?”
“You think you’d like to play ball with the law?”
“Think it mighta been that fighter that you saw runnin’ that night?”
“Don’t forget that you are white”
Arthur Dexter Bradley said “I’m really not sure”
The cops said “A poor boy like you, could use this break
We got you for the motel job and we’re talkin’ to your friend Bello
You don’t want to have to go back to jail, be a nice fellow
You’ll be doin’ society a favor
That son of a bitch is brave and gettin’ braver
We want to put his ass in stir
We want to pin this triple murder on him
He ain’t no Gentleman Jim”
Rubin could take a man out with just one punch
But he never did like to talk about it all that much
“It’s my work” he’d say, “and I do it for pay
And when it’s over I’d just as soon go on my way”
Up to some paradise
Where the trout streams flow and the air is nice
And ride a horse along a trail
But then they took him to the jailhouse
Where they try to turn a man into a mouse
All of Rubin’s cards were marked in advance
The trial was a pig-circus, he never had a chance
The judge made Rubin’s witnesses drunkards from the slums
To the white folks who watched, he was a revolutionary bum
And for the black folks he was just a crazy nigger
No one doubted that he pulled the trigger
And though they could not produce the gun
The D.A. said he was the one who did the deed
And the all-white jury agreed
Rubin Carter was falsely tried
The crime was murder one, guess who testified?
Bello and Bradley and they both baldly lied
And the newspapers, they all went along for the ride
How can the life of such a man
Be in the palm of some fool’s hand?
To see him obviously framed
Couldn’t help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land
Where justice is a game
Now all the criminals in their coats and their ties
Are free to drink martinis and watch the sun rise
While Rubin sits like Buddha in a ten-foot cell
An innocent man in a living hell
Yes, that’s the story of the Hurricane
But it won’t be over ’til they clear his name
And give him back the time he’s done
Put in a prison cell, but one time he coulda been
The champion of the world